More teachers get layoff notices

Tentative layoff notices went out to more Eugene School District teachers Friday, and more will go out Monday and later next week.

The notices inform some teachers that their jobs are in jeopardy because of the district’s record $21.7 million budget shortfall for the 2011-12 school year.

The district sent tentative layoff notices to 109 teachers with low seniority at the end of February, but since school staffing and curriculum plans have subsequently been worked out for next fall, the Friday and Monday notices are to 17 mostly part-time teachers representing the equivalent of about 10.5 full-time positions, said Jerilynn Beghetto, the district’s human resources administrator.

And more will be sent after Monday to some elementary school teachers and some middle and high school social studies teachers, Beghetto said. She was not sure yet how many of those teachers will be notified, and declined to estimate the number.

“We have to work through it by seniority, and we’re doing it as fast as we can,” Beghetto said. “We just didn’t have enough time (this week).”

Voter approval of a city income tax for schools on Tuesday, which would provide an estimated $12 million a year to the Eugene School District for four years, would help stem the tide of layoffs. But how many jobs would be saved is uncertain, Beghetto said.

The district is still negotiating with the Eugene Education Association on concessions for next school year, which also will affect which teachers ultimately receive official layoff notices for the 2011-12 school year.

The latest batch of tentative layoff notices are in speciality areas the district says it will most likely not be able to afford next year because of an increased student-to-teacher staffing ratio at schools. Those include foreign language, art, health, P.E. and music teachers.

Seven of the 17 notices that went out Friday and will go out Monday are to P.E. teachers, Beghetto said.

As the district negotiates concessions with its four employee groups, it has said that even with a minimum of $4.6 million in concessions, it will still have to lay off the equivalent of 130 employees.